Machine



(Model) 3 8heets--Sheet 1.

G. L. KNAUSS & L. F. GRAMMES.

BOX NAILING MAGHINE.

j No. 249,245. Patented Nov. 8,1881.

(Model) A 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. L. KNAUSS & L. P. GRAMMES.

' BOX NAILING MACHINE. No, 249,245. Patented Nov. 8,1881.

3 a m S a a nu h. S 33 M M. E G m .H P m M L e & m Tu wm mm .Nm K L a (Model) Patented Nov. 8,1881. 93, m

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE n nAnss AND Lewis F. GRAMMES, oEALLENTowN, PA.

BOX-NAILING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Batent No. 249,245, dated November 8, 1881.

' Application filed September9,1881. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE L. KN Uss and LEWIS F. GRAMMEs, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Allentown, in the county of Lehigh and State ofPennsyL Vania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-Nailing Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, whichform a partot'this specification.

Our invention relates to machinery for nailing the sides ends, and bottoms, and, if desired, the tops, of boxes together in the course of their manufacture; and our invention has particular reference to machinery for nailin g cigar-boxes, although by building the machinery of suitable size any and all styles and sizes of i merchandise, packing, and other boxes can be nailed.

Our invention has reference to that class of box-nailing machinery in which the parts of a box in proper position relative to each other are placed upon atable and clamped in suitable deviees, when by suitable means the nails are driven or forced into the material of the box parts in such a manner as to secure them in a finished condition, said nails beingfedfrom a hopper through tracks and under plungers or drivers; and our invention consistsin certain devices and combinations of devices, hereinafter more specifically described, and particularly .set forth in the claims.

Heretofore it has been difficult, if at all practical, to nail bymachinery the bottoms of boxes to the lower edges of the sides when (as in the ordinary cigar-box)'said sides are comparatively thin, as the least variation from a straight line in the direction taken by the nail when driven results in defective work and thesplitting of the said thin sides.

One of the principal objects of our invention is to overcome this difficulty.

Referring to the drawin gs, Figure l is a front elevation of a machine (treadle up) embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation,

(treadle down,) and Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged (full-sized) view of the chuck or nail-guide and driver; Fig. 5, abottom view of the chuck or nail-guide; and Fig. 6, a detailview of one jaw of the chuck or nailguide, with its companion lever and connecting-sprin g. V i

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in all the figures.

A represents the frame-work of the machine, which is supported by a standard or table, in or under which, respectively, is a treadle mechanism of the usual construction, or it may be furnished with the usual pulleys andshaft employed in machines of this character to give a reciprocating motion to the operative parts above the table. The frame-work is provided with a suitable base, a plain upright face, rearwardly-projecting vertical strengthening-ribs, and an upper horizontal-rearwardly-projecting flange, which forms a base or foundation: for the superimposed mechanism. The face of the framework is slotted centrally and vertically to permit the adjustment of the table B by means of a set-screw, which passes through a depending flange on the rear edge. of the table and a rib formed on the rear of said flange fitted to said vertical slot in the face of the frame-work, and into a similarlyribbed cross-bar at the back of the'frame-work. A plate, b, extends entirely across the table B, and is suitably attached thereto, so that it moves with the table when the latter is adjusted. Upon plate 12 are the guides b, the

purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

At and upon the outer ends of the upper flange of the frame-work are located and suitably secured upright ways 0 O, in which the guides d d and e e of the cross-heads D and E reciprocate. Each of the guides dis provided with astop, d, (see Fig. 2,) which limits the downward movement of the cross-head D by striking the bottom of a notch, d in each of the ways 0, and each is also provided with a depending bracket, d to which is suitably attached a cross-plate, d and guides d similar to those above described, as shown at b 1), ex-

cept that the former rise and fall with the crosshead D,twhile the latter remain stationary with table B.

The cross-head D is slotted for the reception of and to permit the lateral adjustment of the chucks or nail-guides F, each of which is provided with a transverse bar or lngs,f!, a shoul- 5 der, f and anut,f by which it is adjustably fastened to the cross-head. (See Figsland t.) These guides F are bored conically, and at their lower smaller ends or outlets are each provided with three jaws, f pivotally attached to slotted lugs on the outside of the guide and extending downward'andinto slots f (see Fig. 6,) which lead into the above-mentioned outlets. Eachof said jaws f is provided with or oper ated upon by a companion lever, f pivoted in slotted lugs at the lower end of the guide, and each jaw and lever is extended from its pivot to form an arm, and the arms are connected by a coiled spring, f". The cross-head D is also supplied with set-screws G to limit adjnstably the downward movement of cross-head E. The guides d are slotted longitudinally for the reception of a pin or lug, h, projecting therein from guides e of cross-head E, upon the bar of which are adjustably attached the drivers or plungers H. The cross-head E is provided with rearwardly-proj ectin g lugs c, which adapt the cross-head for connection by means of the adjustable connecting-rods to the rear crosshead, I, running in ways formed in the upright strengthening-ribs of the main frame-work of the machine. The cross-head I is perforated vertically and centrally for the passage therethrough of the treadle-rod J, and is provided with a set-screw,t', whereby desirable variation in the stroke of the cross-heads I and E may be effected in a manner hereinafter set forth. Uponthc upper flange of the frame-work A are secured suitable brackets, K, which support the inclined stationary track-plate L. This plate is slotted from and through its upper rear edge to nearits lower and front edge, where the slots terminate in passages M leading to the funnels N, the slots being of a width a little more than the thickness of the body of the nails, and the passages M and funnels N of a size a trifle larger than the nail-head in its greatest diameter.

In a transverse groove in plate L, and beneath acovering-plate, 0, having slots and passages coincident with those of plate L, is a reciprocatingjcut-oft' and picker-bar, P, having passages of the size and shape of thosein plates L and O, and having inclined slots extending to its rear edge and through the same,forming at one edge of the slot a point and at the opposite edge a'recess in width corresponding with that of the slots or tracks in plates L and O. The cut-off and picker-baris, by a spring, 19, attached to a lug or pin, 19 secured to the way 0, constantly held with'its end pressed against a tappet or lug, p attached to the cross-head E, which lug has acurved'or camshaped edge or outline, which causes the cutoff and picker-bar to reciprocate laterally at each vertical reciprocation of the cross-head E. At each of the upper corners of the track-plate L are brackets provided with set-screw pinbearings q, upon whichthe hopper R oscillates or is hinged and supported.

The hopper consists of a box, R, the bottom of which consists of a series of depressions or pockets, 0*, having curved sides, which termihate in converging rear ends, the inner surfaces of which slant rearwardly and upwardly. Between each two pockets is a track, 4", similar to those in plates L and O,'wh1ch diverges and slants downwardly to the rear in conformity to the convergence of the rear end of the pockets r. At the frontinner side and bottom of the hopperis a transverse'bridge-plate, r having tracks in its under surface coinciding with the tracks r and of sufficient width to receive the heads of the nails, and immediately over said tracks are grooves with rearwardly-diverging sides. Plate r secures a regular arrangement of nails within the hopper. Upon the front inner side of the hopper are gates 1', secured by set-screws r passing through slots in the front of the hopper, whereby any of the tracks may be closed, if desired, by lowering the gates into the tracks. The rear of the hopper is suitably connected by rod S to the treadle-rod at cross-head I, by which means the hopper is oscillated. Y

The tracks, gates, passages, funnels, drivers, and guides may be associated in any desired number in ourmachine, the proportions thereof being changed onlyin width by the addition or subtraction of these devices, and thus any practical number of nails may be driven simultaneously in a box of any practical length.

We deem it proper, also, to state that our machinein many respects is adapted to be used in boot and shoe pegging and in other analogous arts.

The operation of our machine is as follows: The machine being in the position shown in Fig. 1, (treadle up,) and the table B having been adjusted so that the bottom of the guides F are a trifle higher than the box to he nailed, and guides b and their companions it having beenadjusted to the width or length of the box, (the former when the ends and sides of the box are to be united, the latter when the bottom or top and sides are to be united,) or, speaking generally, adjusted to the length of the nailing-line of the box, the box parts are placed one upon the other in the relative p0- too IIO

sition they are to occupy in the completed state, and held upon the table against the plates 1) within the guides b d and under the nail guides or clutches F, when the treadle is depressed. The first result is that cross-head E commences a downward movement. Grosshead D follows by force of gravity and brings the guides F in. close contact with the box, and guides d are also thus depressed, and during the continuation of the depression of the treadle the drivers H enter the boreof the nail-guides F, where they come in contact with the head of the nails already fed in by the hopper and force them through the outlets and jaws into the box parts. The treadle is elevated when this point has been reached, and lugs e of cross-head guidese lift cross-head D audits devices clear of the box, and another side is presented to be nailed. During the movements of the treadle thehopperBis oscillated on its bearin gs,and the nailscontained therein are agifated or thrown from front to rear, and eventually land in the convergent ends of the pockets r or in the divergentportions of thetracks,

andby the continued oscillation of the hopper are jarred so that the points of the nails by gravity, the heads being supported by theedges of thetracks, fall down into the slots or tracks, and this whetherthey enter thetracks point first or head first, for if the latter, then the head is jarredalong the track until the point reaches its beginning, when by gravity it falls, and is supported in proper position by the nail-head. The nail suspended by its head now passes through the open gates 1 into the slots of the inclined track-plates L and 0, where they collect in numbers sufficient to fill said tracks, theybein g stopped in their passage to the nailguides by the cut-oif or picker-bar P at each depression of the treadle, At each rise of the treadle the pointed edge of the slanted-slot in the picker-bar enters between the first nail in i the track (which rests therein and in the recess of the picker -bar which registers with the trackland the second, separatingthem,and durin g the lateral movement of the pieker'bar continues to act as a stop to theforward movement of all the nails in the track, while said movement of the bar, by means of the slanted slot and the straight sides of the tracks, forces the foremost nail thus picked out into the passages, from whichit drops by force of gravity into and through the funnels down into the nail-guides, the drivers having beeu'lifted by cross-head E sufficiently to allow the nails to pass by in the larger upper bore of the nail-guides, when the nails are retained by the jaws f which are by their springs brought to a closed or nearlyclosed position. 7

We deem it of special importance that the operation of driving the nail should be particularly set forth.

As heretofore stated, there is a difficulty encountered when it is attempted to drive by machinery nails through the thin bottom of a box into its thin sides. If the nail be defective or not truly presented at the start, it certainly will be-driven slantingly or crookedly, and the thin side is surely split, or at best the nail-point at least will appear on one or the other surface of the side. ,It is therefore apparent that the nail must not only be presented truly-that is, in a perfect line parallel with the surface of the box-side'but it must be until the nail is driven home, or so nearly so that no possible opportunity is left for a change in the course of the nail. At the entrance of the nailwithin the jaws f their leverage thereon is of a certain length and exerts a certain power against the nail. As the nail advances through the. jaws this leverage and power decreases, and were it not for the companion le vers f the nail, though started truly, would readily change itscourse; but levers f restore the leverage and power in jawsf just in proportion as it is lost by the advancement of the nail, and thus insure not only a true presentation but a true guidance of the nail up to the last of its driving.

Theadjustability ofthe several parts of our machine also constitutes important features of our invention. v:

The depth to which the head of the nail shall be set into the wood of the box may be regulated at will by means of the set-screws G.

\Vhe'n cross-head D has reached the down ward'limit of its movement and cross-head E follows, the latter strikes upon the screws Gr.

These may be set so that the drivers H may i be allowed to pass sufficiently below the nailguides F to countersink the heads below the surface of the wood, if desired, and this feature of our machine renders it especially applicable to shoe-pegging and other analogous arts where headless nails are used. justability of the cross-head 1 upon the treadlerod permitsof an adaptation of the machine to longer or shorter nails, a longer or shorter stroke of the cross-heads and their connected devices.

Again, the adice The gates 1' permit a variation in the number of nails which shall be driven at each operation,and consequently the distance apart that they shall be driven is by this means decided: Further, the mutual adjustment laterally of the drivers H and nail-guides F also permits a variance of thedistance between the nails.

It is evident that instead of the coiled spring an unyielding connecting-link would in a measure possess the advantages gained in the construction of our nail-guide. We therefore deem such construction as of our invention; and it is also evident that the means shown for the lateral adjustment of our devices may be used in stationary supporting-bars wherereciprocating cross-heads are not used, as in our machine the cross'head D might be fixed and non-reciprocating if there were to be only one size of box to be nailed by it, and in our feeding mechanism the nail tracks or slots need not be divergent at their rear ends, as the nails would -naturally,in some measure, be caught properly in the track without that feature; but we should deem such construction as within our invention, as would that construction which made use of convergent sides at both ends of the pockets of the hopper.

The location of the bridge-plate within the hopper insures the retention in the track of a IIO few nails,notwithstandingtheoscillatorymovement of the hopper. Thus no clogging can occur at the gates.

The log may have a curved outline on each edge and pass through a slot in the picker-bar P, and thus operate to move said bar in both directions, thus doing away with the spring and pin or lug p -The set-screw pin-bearings of the hopper afford ready means of accurately adjusting the hopper-tracks to register or coincide with those of plates L and 0.

Having described our invention and its operation, what we claim, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a nail-driving machine, a guide having jaws each of which is provided with an arm connected to a companion lever which operates upon the jaw, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a nail-driving machine, a nail-guide comprising the following elements, viz: a conicallybored body, pivotal jaws having projected arms, companion levers, and connectingsprings, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a nail-driving machine, a nail-guide havinga shoulder,f or lugsf, and a nut,f in combination with a slotted supporting-bar,

' substantially as shown and described.

4. In an oscillating hopper, a pocket having upwardly and outwardly slanted and convergent rear ends, substantially as shown and de scribed, whereby the nails are arranged atright angles to the rear end of the hopper and raised to the tracks adjacent to the pocket' before leaving the same. 5. In an oscillating hopper, the combination of pockets having upwardly and outwardly slanted and convergent ends with adjacent nail-tracks having upwardly and outwardly slanted and divergent sides, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a box-nailing machine, the combination of a stationary inclined track-plate with apivotally-attached hopper adapted to be oscillated, and having tracks covered over a portion of their length by a bridge-plate, and also having gates adapted to close the exits of the tracks, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a nail-driving machine, an oscillatory hopper pivoted to an inclined stationary trackplate providedwith a transverse pickerbar, substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination of an inclined stationary track-plate having passages, a stationary covering-plate having coinciding passages and slots, a picker-bar having coinciding passages and recesses, and slanting slots, with. a reciprocating cross-head having a projecting camfaced lug, substantially as shown and described. A

9. The combination of an oscillating hopper pivoted to a stationary inclined track-plate, having a cut-off or picker-bar, and funnels rigidly attached and arranged to receive the nails by the force of gravity from the passages of the inclined plate, snbstantially'as shown and described.

10. In a nail-driving machine, the combination of a hopper supported on set-screw pinbearings with an inclined stationary trackplate provided with lugs for the reception of said bearings, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE L. KNAUSS. LEWIS F. GRAMMES.

Witnesses EDWARD RUHE, EDWARD X. RENINGER. 

